That expired lipstick caused Tang Junhe's heart to fluctuate greatly. He had lunch at noon that day and went to a nearby shopping mall counter. The lady at the counter enthusiastically recommended the latest popular lipstick shades to him, and he bought them all without comparing them. Later, he bought a whole set of cosmetics and took them to Tang Xiaonian's ward.

Tang Xiaonian has woken up, but he can't eat anything, and can only rely on infusion of nutrient solution to maintain various body functions.

"What did you buy?" Tang Xiaonian looked at the paper bag in his hand and asked.

Tang Junhe supported Tang Xiaonian's back, let her sit up leaning on the pillow, and then put the paper bag in her arms.

Tang Xiaonian lowered his head, reached into the bag with his skinny right hand full of needles, opened the largest box, and saw several lipsticks stuck vertically on it.

She froze for a moment, then said with an unnatural expression: "Why buy this?"

"Don't you wear makeup now?" Tang Junhe looked down at the medical record and said calmly, "With makeup on, your complexion will look better."

His tone was flat, it sounded natural, Tang Xiaonian didn't say anything more, holding the bag of cosmetics, as if caught in some kind of memory, after a while he said in a daze: "I went to the mall when I was 20 years old. , the lady at the counter put on light makeup for me. I had no money at that time, and I came out without buying anything. When I walked to the street, a man in his 30s came up to me and said he was a talent scout, asking me Do you want to play or not?"

Tang Xiaonian said this many times ten years ago, and Tang Junhe heard it many times, but he never gave a response before, but this time he asked: "What did you say at that time?"

"I..." Tang Xiaonian smiled a little on his skinny face, "I patted my belly and said, I have to have a baby. You were only two months old at that time, and no one could tell that I was pregnant."

Tang Junhe put down the medical records in his hand, and rarely agreed: "If you don't give birth to me, maybe you can become a star."

"That's right... But, that's not certain," Tang Xiaonian said, "Who knows if that person is a liar."

At this time the nurse came in to change Tang Xiaonian's dressing, and Tang Xiaonian lay down again, looking at Tang Junhe with lowered eyelids: "Why did you drink again last night?"

Tang Junhe stood up, his eyes fell on the back of Tang Xiaonian's hands covered with pinholes: "Gathering with friends, everyone drank."

"Why didn't Mai Ze come with you last night? Didn't he send you here?"

Tang Junhe lied without blinking: "He still has a performance today, and he went home early last night."

"Where's Ding Li? I haven't seen him coming over for a long time."

"Ding Li and his girlfriend are getting married soon."

"I haven't seen Jiang Zhengshuo for more than half a year." Tang Xiaonian asked all the roommates in his university dormitory.

Tang Junhe said lightly: "He also undergoes surgery every day, how can he come here often when he has time."

Tang Xiaonian stared blankly at the air in front of him, sighed for a long time, closed his eyes and said, "Look at how nice Ding Li is, with his girlfriend by his side, he can still have a talk when he goes back at night."

"This kind of thing depends on fate." Tang Junhe said.

The nurse finished the injection, stood up straight, and said with a smile: "So Dr. Tang will also be urged to marry. Auntie, doesn't Dr. Tang have a brother? Dr. Tang's brother often comes to pick him up from get off work recently. There is a brother in the family. Sisters are much more reliable than lovers."

Tang Xiaonian then opened his eyes and looked at Tang Junhe.

Tang Junhe's eyelashes trembled, and he turned his face away, avoiding her eyes and said, "Not often, I just come here to get medicine occasionally, just by chance."

Hearing what he said, the nurse turned her head and looked over in surprise, as if she hesitated to speak, but finally said nothing.

After being rescued that night, Tang Xiaonian's health began to deteriorate. Like all cancer patients, once the signs of organ failure appear, the patient's life will be like a trembling thread with heavy weights, waiting for the last straw that breaks the camel's back.

Yang Xuan still drove downstairs to the hospital every night. Tang Junhe didn't know what time he came and how long he waited. The distance from the hospital to the community is not far. If the green light happened to happen, the whole journey would only take a few minutes. Sometimes they didn't even say a word, and Tang Junhe got out of the car.

On the night when Tang Xiaonian was undergoing chemotherapy again, Tang Junhe sat in the car, and when he was waiting for the red light, he said, "Actually, you don't have to come and pick me up every day."

Yang Xuan didn't speak at first, and only said when he started the car again: "This is also my job."

Oh, work. Tang Junhe remembered Yang Xuan's low laugh a few days ago.

In fact, he has all kinds of rebuttal words to say, such as you have not officially joined the job, what kind of job is this time? For example, this ordinary **** job also needs you, a dignified former captain, to do it?

But the words came to his lips but he couldn't say them out. After all, he was afraid that Yang Xuan would really not come.

Ten years ago, Yang Xuan could leave as soon as he said, and of course he could not come if he couldn't come ten years later. Perhaps the only one who can't forget it is himself.

As Tang Xiaonian's condition continued to deteriorate, Tang Junhe's anxiety symptoms also began to worsen. One night, after taking three sleeping pills but only entering a light sleep of less than three hours, he realized his mental problems There may be a tendency to relapse. If this continues, he will not be able to perform daily surgical work at all.

He took time off work the next afternoon to see a therapist, the same one he had seen years earlier. Foreign doctors in their thirties, professional psychology PhDs, and they communicate in English, which gave Tang Junhe a rare sense of security. There are some things he can't say in Chinese.

"Probably because he came back half a month ago, I found that I still couldn't refuse him. When I was insomnia, I might think about the physical contact between us all night, sometimes it's just the touch of fingers, It reminds me a lot of things from the past.”

"Is he chasing you?"

"I don't know, it's not a pursuit," Tang Junhe shook his head lightly, "No one would pursue others like this."

"But judging from your description of him, it is very likely that he is pursuing you, or that he has this idea."

"Don't give me such a hint," Tang Junhe said with a wry smile, "You know I don't need this now."

"Let me give you some advice as a friend, either accept it and let him be your antidote, or be more straightforward and don't let him disturb your life. Your current state of worrying about gains and losses is the most dangerous situation ’” said the psychiatrist at the end of the treatment.

On the way back to the hospital, Tang Junhe kept thinking about this sentence. Accept... how about accept? Yang Xuan has never asked him to accept anything, is he going to accept being Yang Xuan's younger brother with peace of mind?

He walked up the stairs in front of the gate of the inpatient building somewhat absent-mindedly. When he entered the gate, someone rushed out in a hurry and hit him hard.

Such hurried figures can be seen everywhere in the hospital. After all, no one can calm down in front of life. Tang Junhe didn't pay much attention, and continued to walk back to his office. But when he took off his coat and was about to change into a white coat, he suddenly found that his left sleeve was cut.

Judging from the neat cut, it should be cut with a very sharp blade, Tang Junhe immediately thought of the person who just hit him.

Is it endless? Looking at the incision, Tang Junhe felt a little irritable. Since he was already holding a knife, why didn't he just stab himself to death? The thought flashed through his mind.

He frowned, called the police officer who came last time, explained the situation, and when he was about to hang up the phone, he asked again: "Is there no way to solve this matter as soon as possible?"

Over there, they are discussing the arrest plan.

"If you use me as bait, will it be faster?"

"This, if it's not a last resort..."

"You can raise this idea with your boss, just say I proposed it," Tang Junhe said while standing in front of his desk in a white coat, "I hope this matter will be resolved as soon as possible rather than guaranteeing my safety." .”

Maybe it was because the bait plan was indeed feasible, that night, Yang Xuan received a call from You Xin. On the phone, You Xin said that Tang Junhe himself proposed that he could be used as a bait, and the C team discussed it as a whole and worked out a feasible plan.

"But captain, don't go pick up Dr. Tang these few days..." You Xin said in a cold voice when Yang Xuan said, "Who made the plan? Who is the leader of Group C, Wu Zhuo?"

"It's Wu Zhuo..."

"What is Wu Zhuo's phone number, send it to me."

"Oh..." You Xin had worked under him for a few years, and had figured out his uncompromising temperament, so he could only accept it at this time.

After receiving the number from You Xin, Yang Xuan immediately dialed the phone and said straight to the point: "Group Leader Wu, I would like to know more about the bait plan. The person who proposed to be the bait was my younger brother, and the suspect It's about me, and I think I should have that right."

Wu Zhuo laughed as soon as he heard it: "Yang Xuan, Captain Yang, you are so serious when you come up, I'm afraid this bait plan won't work..."

"Has the above agreed?"

"No, no, the plan has just been discussed, and it has not been fully determined yet. Considering that you two brothers are closely related to this case, I asked Xiao You to find out from you first, and you really disagree."

"You are going to push him into the fire pit, you don't need to think about it, you know I disagree, right?"

"No, no, it was he himself who proposed to jump into the fire pit first. The criminal has a life on his back, and the family has already reported the case. If it is to arrest the criminal, using your brother as a bait is indeed the most feasible at present. Besides, it’s not a pit of fire. First of all, your brother’s personal safety must be guaranteed, and the plan will be quite complete, so he won’t be allowed to take such a big risk…”

***

"Either accept it and let him be your antidote, or simply don't let him disturb your life." All night, Tang Junhe played this sentence in a loop in his mind.

In fact, why didn't he know it himself? It's just that when these words are spoken by a psychiatrist, it will force him to make a choice as soon as possible. It's time to make a choice.

Tang Junhe walked out of the hospital according to the usual off-duty time, and Yang Xuan's car was parked where it used to be. He walked straight over, opened the door and sat in.

Just when he was about to say the phrase "don't come to pick me up again" bluntly, Yang Xuan spoke first: "This is—"

"After" and "this is" collide.

Tang Junhe felt a little ridiculous. For a few nights, they were all sitting in the car, and no one said a word from the beginning to the end. But tonight, when he wanted to speak, Yang Xuan happened to have something to say.

"Let's talk first." Tang Junhe made a concession.

Yang Xuan didn't intend to give in to him, so he handed over the phone and continued what he said just now: "This is the call from Wu Zhuo, the leader of Group C of the Serious Crime Squad. If you call it, just say that you have thought it over carefully and refuse to be this bait." .”

Tang Junhe looked down at the screen. In the cramped carriage, the screen was glowing with bright white light. On it was the interface of the address book. He could dial the phone with just a touch of his finger.

"I came up with this plan." He said looking at the screen.

"So you are also the one who has the most right to refuse."

Tang Junhe raised his head, looked out of the car window and said, "I won't refuse."

Yang Xuan frowned, and said in a slow tone: "This is a matter of personal safety, so don't mess around."

"But it's also the fastest solution, isn't it? Catch the criminal and you can finish your job."

After saying this, Yang Xuan was silent for a moment, and said: "This is not just work, I don't think it needs to be said clearly."

That's right, it's also because I'm your younger brother, Tang Junhe thought, but I never thought of being just your younger brother.

After a long while, the car made a slight starting sound, then slid out smoothly and merged into the traffic flow in the night.

No one spoke anymore, Tang Junhe looked at the receding trees on the side of the road, it turned out that it was already late spring, and summer was coming soon.

Along the way, they didn't talk to each other again, Yang Xuan kept sending him downstairs.

Tang Junhe unbuckled his seat belt, it was time to say that sentence, if it was later, there would be no chance tonight, but when the matter came to an end, he suddenly didn't want to say it anymore. If he said it, would it be the last time Yang Xuan sent him home?

Otherwise, forget it, it is better to think about it than not think about it. Tang Junhe reached out to push the car door, but Yang Xuan suddenly asked, "What are you going to say when you get in the car?"

Let's just say it, Tang Junhe thought again, keeping such hopeless thoughts is also a kind of torture. There were too many hurdles between them that they couldn't get over, the endless revenge back then, the parting that had not heard from each other for ten years, and Tang Xiaonian who is now terminally ill. They are entangled and tied into a dead knot, which cannot be untied.

Tang Junhe took a deep breath, closed his eyes, opened them after a few seconds, and said, "I heard that people in the special forces know how to hold guns. You have been in the army for so many years , and became the captain, then... have you ever killed anyone?"

He suddenly asked about this, Yang Xuan didn't know why, he paused and said: "Killed."

Tang Junhe asked again: "How much?"

Yang Xuan said briefly: "A lot."

Tang Junhe nodded, looking at the dark front. The shadow of the tree was reflected on the front window of the car, shaking, and on the street not far away, the sound of speeding cars could be clearly heard. After a while, Tang Junhe said softly: "You have killed many people, so can you let me go now?"

Tang Junhe felt that Yang Xuan turned his head to look at him, but he didn't dare to look at Yang Xuan anymore. He could think of Yang Xuan's appearance, frowning and sharp eyes, leaving him nowhere to hide.

He turned his face to one side of the car window, lowered his eyes, and said slowly: "I'm... living a good life now. I can be an independent surgeon, and I have a very good teacher, Director Xue, as you can see I also have friends who come to see me occasionally, and my colleagues in the hospital are also very kind to me, much better than my classmates back then. The only thing that is not so good is that Tang Xiaonian is seriously ill and is about to die.” Tang Jun Hyuk felt a little out of breath, and took another deep breath before he could continue, "I have let go of what happened ten years ago, so you don't have to feel guilty about me. I...I am living a good life now, There is no need to find other unhappiness for yourself."

Tang Junhe felt that he had never spoken such a long word in his life. After finishing all the words, he did not feel much relaxed. Instead, his chest was blocked by something, which made his breathing difficult.

After a while, Yang Xuan said: "You hope that I will not disturb your life again."

Hit the nail on the head. Tang Junhe thought, he made such a big detour, and only hoped to leave a little room for maneuver, but when Yang Xuan opened his mouth, he blocked the exit.

Tang Junhe couldn't speak, and nodded with great effort.

After a while of silence, Yang Xuan said, "I see."